


Nell's Sweater

by BeStillMySlashyHeart



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 15:44:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16328873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeStillMySlashyHeart/pseuds/BeStillMySlashyHeart
Summary: Theo had given up her gloves. She was trying to embrace her gift instead of fearing it. But she can't forget what Nell made her feel.What happens when she has some of Nell's things in her own unpacked boxes?





	Nell's Sweater

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclaimer: I am in love with Theo Crain
> 
> I wanted to envision a future for her where her power can be good, not just fucking awful so there's this
> 
> Probably too saccharine for this show but after the finale...can anything be too saccharine?

“I can’t believe you still have boxes lying around.” Trish teased her gently. “It’s been at least six months since you moved in.” 

Trish took a sip of her wine as she turned back to where Theo stood in the kitchen. Theo glanced her way briefly but kept her focus on the stove. She didn’t respond. 

After a long moment, Theo heard Trish clear her throat awkwardly. She closed her eyes in frustration. She had been doing better about being open with Trish but old habits die hard, she supposed. She was too used to being close-lipped about everything that the idea of sharing even the inane stuff like why she hasn’t unpacked all of the boxes was a struggle for her. 

Theo let the silence last while she finished dinner. As Trish settled in at the table, Theo emptied her own glass of wine in a single swallow. She quickly refilled it before taking her place.

“It’s because of Nell.” She started. 

Trish looked up at her with her fork halfway to her mouth, obviously startled. She slowly put her fork down as Theo took another large sip of her wine. “I had some of Nell’s things in my place. She uh she had left them after staying over one weekend. And I don’t remember which box they were in and-”

Trish reached across the table and laid her hand next to Theo’s. She had gotten better about not touching her without her consent. She simply made herself available should Theo want the contact. Right now she did. She turned her hand over and gripped Trish’s hand tight. Instantly, she started to relax. 

She had had a hard time explaining to Trish exactly what happened when she touched people or things and sometimes she was sure that Trish still didn’t understand. But there were times like now when the other woman clearly knew what was happening. She was radiating calm and reassurance and love. And it grounded Theo. Like it always did.

She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to go through the boxes and accidentally touch something of Nell’s and feel that empty nothingness again.” She told her. “I don’t know if I will or if it was just because last time I felt that way it was her body but I can’t take that chance.” Trish squeezed her hand and reached out and placed the other one on top of Theo’s. 

Neither woman said anything immediately. But eventually Trish broke the silence. “I can help.” Theo looked up at her. “I can unpack the boxes and lay everything out so you know where Nell’s things are. You won’t have to touch them if you don’t want to.” She offered quietly. 

Theo felt tears start to fall. Idly, she reached up a hand to wipe them away. She nodded. “Thank you.”

Trish smiled and squeezed her hand again. “But first things first. I’m hungry and there is a full plate of delicious looking food right in front of me, so-” 

Theo laughed. “Food first.” She agreed.

They passed dinner with light, easy conversation. Theo was being honest when she said she was getting better. She may never be an open book but she was learning to share more of herself with people and especially with Trish. It was nice to have a real relationship. Theo couldn’t honestly say if she had ever had one before. 

After the kitchen had been cleaned up, Trish moved to open another bottle of wine but stopped when she saw Theo start moving the boxes. There had been four stacked in the corner of the room but now she set them next to each other in the living room. Trish set the bottle on the counter and went to join her.

“We don’t have to do this tonight.” Trish said gently. “It was an open-ended offer.”

“I know. But I might as well do it now.” Theo looked up at her from her place on the floor. “If you don’t mind.”

Trish shook her head. “Of course not.” With that she settled in next to Theo and one of the boxed. Quickly but gently she opened the box and emptied its contents onto the floor, spreading them out so Theo could see everything.

When the box was empty she scooted back to give Theo some space as the woman examined her things. After a moment, Theo shook her head. “Nothing in here is Nell’s.”

“Okay. Do you want to put them away or-”

“No.” Theo cut her off. “Now that I know what’s in the box I can unpack it for real another time. Let’s just check the other boxes.”

Trish nodded in agreement. Together the two worked quickly but silently. Theo repacked the first box while Trish unpacked the second. Again there was nothing. They repeated the process with the third box to the same result. Both women were beginning to think that Theo had worried for nothing until Trish laid out the contents of the fourth box. Before she had even finished setting everything out, she felt Theo stiffen beside her. 

When the last box was empty, Trish started to get up but Theo stopped her. 

“The uh, the sweater. And the makeup bag. Those are Nell’s.” Trish reached out and picked up the items and set them aside. “I think the brown purse was hers. But we both used it so I’m not sure if it would mean anything.” Trish set it aside anyway. 

“Anything else?” Trish asked. 

Theo nodded. She reached out a hand and let it hover over a necklace. “The locket.” Trish started to reach out for it herself but Theo shook her head. “It was my mom’s. Nell sort of claimed it after she died.”

“Can you uh-not move?” Theo asked. “This is probably a very dumb idea but-” 

Without finishing her sentence, Theo reached down and gripped the locket. She held it for only a moment before letting it go with a scream. She flung herself away from the locket, still screaming. Trish reached for her without thought only for Theo to back away from her too. 

Trish put her hands up and away from Theo. “Theo, honey, it’s okay. I’ll get rid of the locket. It’s okay. It’s gone.” As she spoke she reached behind her for the locket and put it in her pocket. But her words did nothing. She could only watch as Theo cried out in obvious pain. After a moment, she moved closer in case Theo wanted her contact but instead she spooked her.

Trish was about to give her some space when she spotted the rest of Nell’s things directly behind Theo. “Theo, honey. You need to stop moving. You need to-NO!” Theo had continued to back away as she spoke and put her hand right in Nell’s sweater. 

The sudden quiet was disorienting. Where a second ago, Theo was bawling and screaming, now she was utterly silent. Trish froze. She could only watch Theo’s face as it changed. 

A moment ago her face was twisted in utter anguish. Now, she was calm. Her whole body relaxed and though the tears didn’t stop flowing, a small smile began to emerge. 

“Theo?” Trish tried quietly. Whatever was happening was a welcome change from a few minutes ago but she was still worried. 

Slowly, Theo let go of the sweater and sat up straighter. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked back at Trish. 

“I’m okay.” Trish’s face must have betrayed her feelings on the situation because Theo let out a small laugh. “I promise. I’m okay.” She looked behind her at Nell’s sweater. “I’m okay.” She repeated. 

Turning back to Trish, she wiped her eyes. “Can you put everything back. And uh- keep the locket very far away from me?”

Trish nodded. While Theo settled herself into the couch, Trish repacked the box. When everything that was Theo’s was put away, she found a bag to put Nell’s things in. 

“Not the sweater.” Theo’s voice stopped her. “Keep the sweater.” Trish looked back at her but nodded. She folded the sweater back up and placed it on top of the box before putting Nell’s makeup bag and the locket into a bag and setting it by the door. She’d ask Shirley if she wanted the locket but she was getting it the fuck out of Theo’s house tonight. 

When everything was done, she joined Theo on the couch, keeping a careful distance between them. They sat in silence for what felt like hours.

“I felt them both in the locket,” Theo began after a while, “Nell and my mom.”

She shifted in her seat. “It was like - it was like the very worst parts of them both. Or maybe it was what they had in common. It might have been the house that killed them but neither of them was what we might call mentally stable either. And maybe it was that illness that tied them to the house and to each other. And to the locket. I can’t-I can’t explain how it felt to have them both there. I’ve never felt more than one person at a time. And both were-” She took a deep breath. “It was hard.”

“But then there was Nell’s sweater.” At this, Theo smiled. “She was wearing it when she met Arthur. After that she considered it her lucky sweater. She wore it all the time. It was filled with- with everything. With how much she loved Arthur. How happy she was when she was with him. How much she loved her life.” Theo looked at Trish. “I’ve never felt an object hold that much love in it. It’s usually the bad things that stick. Not the good things.”

Trish smiled at her. “So we keep the sweater.”

Theo smiled. “We keep the sweater.”


End file.
